


The Tides in Heaven

by thevampman24



Category: ATUS-Fandom, Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Some angst, Unofficial Fic Continuation, hermitcraft au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2020-12-20 19:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21061979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevampman24/pseuds/thevampman24
Summary: It has been peaceful since Grian with the help of his friends put the last of his demons to rest and Taurtis returned and normalcy ruled, Or at least as normal as Hermitcraft could every be. But when a new Watcher appears and claims to want to help make up for the actions of Crown and Braid. Can he be trusted? and does his gifts hold more strings and dangers than even the giver knows?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [and the universe shifts (ATUS)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18905302) by [aayaptre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aayaptre/pseuds/aayaptre). 

> Chapter one of a New fic. I hope I can do the work of aayaptre justice. Since after reading And the Universe Shifts I couldn't get several Ideas and scenes out of my head.

Chapter One

It has been a few months since the hermits won their battle against the Watchers Crown and Braid and the joining of Taurtis to the world. Sahara and Concorp have kept at their business battle for the diamonds of the hermits, Cleo is still on call as the mistress tableau crafting and armor stand shenanigans, Joe still meanders hither and thither keeping his wit as sharp nay sharper than his sword and Grian despite his new wings and considerable flying experience still at times experiences the effects of terminal velocity upon solid structures. All in all normal and peace had returned but all that was soon to change.

_If convenient, Please come to the statue of Hermity. If inconvenient come all the same._

That was the unsigned message that appeared on all the hermits' communicators. The Architects were the first to the statue.

“So who do you think sent the text?” Iskall asked annoyed as he tries to brush off some redstone stuck to his sleeves, ignoring the dust on his tie or jacket.

“I don’t know but did it have to happen during an upgrade,” Mumbo answered equally annoyed, not even bothering to straighten his tie or unroll his sleeves. “What do you think Sherlock Gian?”

Grian said nothing as he stared at the strange message. His mind raced as he came up with and discarded suspects. His wings ruffled in his agitation making small dust clouds in the colors of the concrete and dyes he had been working with. Soon enough the other hermits made their ways to the base of the statue. Many engrossed in their own discussions on the text and it’s meaning luckily they didn’t wait long.

In front of the gathering there soon came a flash of lightning and when it’s blinding brilliance had faded where it had struck stood a tall figure clad in robes of purple and gold with plain mask covering the upper half of its face along with a simple gold band upon the brow below a dark brown head of hair. They all took in a sharp breath for they knew what this being was. It was a Watcher.

\------------

The hermits all were still as statues in disbelief at what stood before them. They fought already. Bleed already. WON! already. This wasn’t right, soon hands were clutching swords or readying bows and those who had no weapons in their inventory were raising fists or gripping tools.

Grian acted first charging full speed at the figure with only his fist, Mumbo, and Iskall close behind with blade and trident ready. Their charge ended as the figure lifted one hand crackling with purple light and the three got caught in a wall of cobwebs. the other hermits found their own advances similarly ended with such barriers. They all looked around at the situation they were in, minds racing to find a way out or otherwise struggled vainly against the stands that not even their anger could aid in sundering.

“Peace,” The figure said in a deep and calm voice,” I come not as an enemy but as a bringer of apology and as a hopeful author of a treaty between us.” With a wave of his hand, a long table and chairs made of purplish wood appeared before him, With another wave, the cobwebs dispersed and he turned it into a gesture of beckoning for the gathered players. “Please take a seat and listen to my words. I do not wish to hurt you but know that I can call thunder and balefire with as equal ease as I do the webs.” He finished his voice gaining a hard edge near the end.

Slowly the hermits took a seat at the conjured table while the figure took a seat at its head. The hermits stared at him with looks that contained an equal measure of surprise, fear, and hatred.

“Good, But before we call this meeting to order I think it only fair that if I can see into your souls, so to should be able to see into mine,” With that, the watcher reached up and with one hand removed his mask while the other reached into his robe. The gathering was shocked at what they saw for instead of the many eyes of Crown and Braid they saw two and soon enough the other hand returned from the robe with a pair of simple gold-rimmed glasses that soon found a familiar spot on the watcher’s face, with that done the watcher smiled a small smile.

“I am known as an Overseer and I bet you have questions you want to be answered before I get to why I’m here, Correct?”

Grian had many choice words for the watcher at the tip of his tongue but before he could speak the even tone of Joe hills was heard asking, “Not to be too personal mister Overseer Sir, But why do you have two eyes while the others had a garden of them? I mean if that’s too personal I understand and I’m sorry as well as I am also wondering why you didn’t just kill us I mean if the webs are anything to go by you easily could so. Why? Oh and also nice glasses.”

“Two questions and a compliment at once? I guess I see the Joe hills difference for myself but to answer them in order. I have two eyes because I was once a player like yourselves. I didn’t kill you because I want to try and make amends for the actions of my... employees and thank you they may not be as functional as my mask but my glasses do the job.” He responded a bit of his grin coloring his words.

“Amends?!?!” Grian nearly shouted as he bolted up from his seat and stared the watcher in the eyes, “How do you plan on making amends for the deaths of Netty or Martyn? The Destruction of Evo? The scars on poor Joe’s face or Cleo’s arms? Or the nightmares! All at the hands of your _**employees**_.” Grian knew he stood up but couldn’t remember getting right into the face of this overseer. Only becoming aware of this fact at his sentence’s end but even still not backing down.

The overseer winced at the verbal tirade but stayed seated. “The start of how I plan to make amends is to ensure this never happens again and-”

“Ensure? How in the hell can we believe that when you let it happen before!” Grian vitriolically shot back, “In fact Why in the hell did this happen Mister Grand Overseer. Grian finished the vitriol turning to sarcasm at the watcher’s so-called title.

The watcher was shaken at the acquisition and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. “I didn't know what they were doing” He answered in a small voice.

“Didn’t Know? Ignorance is your excuse?” Grian fired back.

“NO! Ignorance is not my excuse. Nothing can excuse the horrors and travesties that happened.” The Overseer loudly responded standing to his full height as tear trails clearly became visible on his face. He continued as he took his seat once more, his voice and body shaking “Ignorance is my explanation. God above if I knew what they were planing I would have stopped them myself.”

All was still for a moment as the watcher tried to regain his composure and steady his breath and as Grian returned to his seat he asked another question, “How did you not know what your employees were up to? Riddle me that.”

“I’ll answer your question with a question. Do you know exactly what every single villager in Sahara’s employ is doing right now? How about you Cub, Do you know what all yours are doing at Concorp?” Grian was silent at the question and both Cub and Scar just shrugged their shoulders after a moment's deliberation.

“That’s what I thought. You don’t know exactly what they are doing but you trust them to do their job and to do it right. Sadly that trust was misplaced. Which again leads to why I am here.” The overseer said his voice steadying to a more neutral tone.

“So how do you plan to make sure this doesn’t happen again?” Cleo asked using a very professional tone.

“And what was this about amends?” Cub added.

“I’m glad you asked Cleo and Cub and I’ll answer in reverse order for amends I was think ing along the lines of this,” The Overseer clapped his hands together causing purple energy to crackle, appearing before the hermits on the table were many boxes that seemed to be shulker boxes that were edged with gold, emeralds and obsidian.

“My word what are these?” Mumbo asked, His inquisitive nature coming to the forefront.

“Those are shulker crates and they are filled with many wonders, New types of wood and trees, flowers and crops. Books many covering the new items and new abilities some of you have, and this tome, in particular, will help you see where I am coming from for how I plan to prevent this from happening again.” The overseer was now holding in his hands a book bound grey with a title written in shimmering blue lapis that read _Vigil legis Domini._ Copies of the book also appeared atop every single one of the shulker crates.

“Law of the Watchers?” Cleo said not realizing she said it out loud at first.

“Yes, We have laws written in iron pen sadly Braid and Crown thought themselves above them.”

“Hey, the laws are written in that funny language like that other book what gives?” Scar asked.

“Sorry Galactic is often our written tongue but if you want I can recite the laws now and I’m sure those who read Galactic Like Joe Hills can verify my translation.” Many of the hermits muttered in agreement or stayed silent until the overseer began his recitation. Grian just glared.

“_Law Primus. We do what must be done for the Players._

_Law Secundus. No Watcher is to ever invade the dreams, mind or spirit of another Watcher, or to usurp their flesh._

_Law Tertius. We are given our power to create and alter but not usurp or sunder. Great our power, greater our responsibility._

_Law Quartus. Do not enter, alter or do anything to a world under a follow Watcher. Enter as a guest or do not enter at all._

_Law Quintus. We work for them, not for us.”_

“I’m glad you asked me to recite our laws because it with them that I wish to protect you specifically I wish to become your world’s Watcher thus-”

“NO!” Grain proclaimed loudly. “I’ve already watched worlds burn because of you sorry lot and if you think a couple boxes of baubles is enough to bribe your way into our good graces fat chance!, oh and nice story with those laws but Braid and Crown broke basically all of these _Iron pen_ laws and nothing happened to them until we Hermits took care of them.” Grain finished with several hermits either throwing in a “Yeah!” of agreement or the slamming shut of one of the shulker crates and the focusing of hard looks toward the watcher.

“If you were to become our Watcher. What would stop you from going full-on evil godling?” Xisumavoid asked in a reasonable and even tone as his mind was still weighing the pros and cons of the offer.

“Aside from my moral compass which I understand why you think we Watchers lack. Simple I am an overseer which means I must supervise many many watchers and the worlds they look after and after the recent fiasco, I will now be doing an even more in-depth of my Watchers. Truth be told if you were to accept my offer aside from maybe showing up around updates to smooth everything out if needs be. We would probably never see each other as I would be too focused on my other duties.” The Overseer almost chirped his voice now much brighter and more energetic now that he could get his full plan out. “The only changes I would do would be the ones you all would want. A New Realm to explore alright. Several new mobs? You can pick such a creature from a Watcher Beasteriry or design one and send it to me. Hell Grain is already on the path of magic while Joe and Cleo have just started walking that invisible road given the time they could do all that for you than I could step back even more.” The Overseer concluded practically beaming at the gathering of players.

“So let me get this straight,” Joe said as he now picked up the conversation where others had left it hanging. His mind racing but still keeping his thoughts and words articulate, “You plan on first giving us crates full of goodies to give us a taste of the wider worlds that are and could be but also knowledge to mayhaps open the doors of such wonders for ourselves specifically Grian, Cleo and myself. While all you do is slap your name on this place hoping that if not the Laws, then your power and station would still the hands of any who would try and gain vengeance or recompense for the slain Watchers. Is that correct?”

“Yes. That is it exactly. And I know this is a big decision and I am willing to give you time to decide as a whole.” The Overseer once more clapped his hands and a small obelisk of shaped bedrock and obsidian covered in glowing watcher glyphs appeared near the doors at the base of the statue of Hermity. “Does one week sound good? One week to decide if you wish to keep theses gifts and my promise or to say no and have it all whisked away?”

The Hermits went about discussing this matter amongst themselves some were adamantly opposed to the idea while others wanted to give it a chance but after half an hours’ debate amongst themselves, they came to a conclusion. Grian acted as the voice of all the hermits mostly because he lost the game of rock, paper, scissors to Doc and Doc really didn’t want to due to his voice almost be gone from a cold.

Grian began speaking with the face of a man who just ate the world’s bitterest lemon, “We the Hermits... have…. Decided to…. Accept the weeks time…. To come to a more informed... and deliberated answer….. To the question…. Of if we will take….. You as….. Our watcher.” Grain finished through gritted teeth. Trying his best to not grind them as well.

With that, the Overseer smiled at the gathering and with a clap made the table and chairs return to the aether. “Wonderful simply wonderful. Thank you all for this chance.” The overseer seemed to be almost beaming at the answer. “In one week's time I will return here to the statue’s base or if you come to a conclusion sooner simply touch the obelisk with the intent of summoning me and I shall come. Sound good?”

The hermits nodded their heads or else showed other signs of agreement and with that, the watcher known as Overseer was gone in a flash of light much like how he appeared leaving the gathering of Hermits and the Shulker crates. As they all truly began to understand what had happened Cub spoke a thought that was on many of the other’s minds. “I hope this isn’t a big mistake.” Many nodded in agreement as they began to take stock of the strange new crates and what they are hiding away but as Cub looked around fear began to rise in him as he scanned the crowd and couldn’t find a certain face.

“Hold your horse's guys. Where’s Scar? Anyone seen him?” a panic began to take root in the other hermits. Many beginning to make their way to the obelisk to ask what kind of joke this is when a muffled sound came from one of the shulker crates whose top suddenly opened showing the head and upper body of Scar whose face was absolutely brimming with more excitement then when Jellie finds her way into his storage room.

“Guys!” Scar joyfully exclaimed. “These crates have the space of like 12 double chests in each one and let me tell you it’s absolutely amazing. OH! I also found what the table was made from!” Scar quickly ducked his head back in the crate only to return a second later with a book open to a diagram of a tree. “According to this, it’s called Enderheart and it’s native to a dimension called _The Celestial Glade_. But it can grow in the overworld! Guys isn’t that amazing?”

Scar being taken with the new wood and all it’s possible uses created mirth that soon spread to even the most morose of those gathered. Even Grian couldn’t help but smile and despite his best efforts his mind too was racing thinking of good ways to use some purple wood both in decoration and accents and if what Scar was saying about it being a good focus for magic along with some other interesting uses as well. Maybe just maybe this could be a good sign of things to come. After all the universe is kind is it not?

\------------

As the energy dissipated the Overseer was now in his home in the true end. He could feel his muscles spasm and quiver as he leaned against a wall near one of the entrances letting the tension release. He didn’t know how long he stood there before he heard the beating of wings and quite mutterings approach him. He called forth a staff and leaned on it as he greeted the visitor. “Greetings Apprentice. How goes things across the worlds?”

“Ah Overseer, You are here, Good.” The other Watcher answered she was wearing the standard purple garments of a watcher along with the pale mask but upon her brow rested a silver circlet that helped keep her dark floating tresses of hair out of her face. She flew with purpose towards the Overseer not only clutching several papers and books close to her chest but also being followed by many more being held in magical grasp. “I wish I brought better news but the numbers from the shadow trails have finished coming in and it looks like world 2B2T will need at least one hundred active watchers if they decide to accept the update, and that number is not accounting for any watchers needed for dimensional patching and player management.”

“So double the number of watchers?”

“Easily Sir.”

“Anything else?” He asked through a sigh as he motioned for her to follow him as he made his way inside. She fluttered about as he took a sedate walk leaning more on his staff than he would like to admit.

“Sorry, Sir but yes Sir.” She responded switching out some of the papers in her hands with those that were following her. “ The Worlds Y.O.G. and V.G. have been having increased reality stability issues since the last round of alterations and additions. The realms of Worldcrafter Devion have missed two major updates but are ready now but due to the number of custom laws in place, the update needs to be signed off by at least 5 Overseers who must all be present for the updating.” She continued not once breaking her stride or professional demeanor or tone.

“Is that all?” The Overseer asked as he nearly collapsed into the chair at his desk. Beginning to pour himself a drink. The Overseer didn’t know if he needed a stiff one or one to perk himself up so he decided for both and hoped for the best.

His apprentice the saint that she was, waited till he had his drink ready and had already taken a few sips before continuing. “Just one final item sir. The magisters are here to further their investigation into the deaths of the Watchers of Evo at the hands of their apprentice the player Grian.”

The Overseer shook his head from side to side and blew out a breath. “Alright,” He answered trying his best to mask the weariness in his voice with neutral professionalism a tired smile on his face. “Send them in.” Before she did she motioned a hand touching the side of her head where her temple would be under her mask. The Overseer screwed his face up in confusion at first till he mimicked her motions and realized what she meant. With an earnest smile, he quickly returned the glasses to his robes and put his mask back on.

With that done the Overseer’s Apprentice smiled softly and left the office only to return a few minutes later followed by a trio of watchers all with wings and garment of black and dark greys wearing masks of bone white. The trio came in silent as the grave and solemn as undertakers as they quickly took seats across from the Overseer but waited to talk until the door to the office was fully shut.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was part of the reason I wanted to write this fic well a certain part involving everyone's favorite mostly dead hermit.

Chapter Two

It has been three days since the rather strange meeting with the Overseer and many of the hermits were still busy trying to make sense of both the proposal and the gifts he had given them. Cub, Mumbo, Iskall, and Xisuma cracked the mystery of Shulker crate crafting in just a couple hours. Talking Scar out of his plan to turn one into a mobile house took considerably longer and Cub is still keeping a close eye on his friend and business partner. Now they worked on the other mysteries. Almost seeming to try and race each other to see who would make the breakthrough first.

Scar to his credit when he wasn’t trying to make his way into a shulker crate was part of the team with Tango, TFC and Stress working trying to make sense of all the new plants and soils that the watcher had gifted and having commandeered an unused island a short ways away from the shopping district and had begun using it as the base of their terraforming experiments and while some of their attempts bore fruit and at least one where a nether tree was somehow planted on aetheric soil resulting in just a minor and short-lived black hole that only took one eighth of the island. They had the grasses spreading and crops and trees growing and blooming.

Grain whose earlier anger had left him with just confusion and distrust was working with Joe, False, Taurtis and Cleo worked with the books. First collecting and cataloging them and then trying to figure out the contents of the many tomes. While they worked it became clear that many tomes especially those dealing with magic and the construction of special arcane foci were written in Galactic and with Joe and Grian being the only Hermits truly fluent in it slowed progress down immensely as the two now had to work as translators and with some wording and phrasing in the books was so practically obtuse or word choice archaic the two would often have to stop and both try to puzzle out what was being said.

Taurtis and False after doing all they could joined up with others ether bumming around to the other projects or working with Ren and Impulse on making sure that if need be the Hermits could go to war. Which left Cleo in the makeshift Library/Scriptorum not too far from her Port City. While she could mostly read Galactic she was nowhere the level of Joe and Grian so so busied herself correlating their translations or making sure all the books were where they should be but after she spent the hour that took she was now just there and bored.

She thought about joining up with one of the other teams but none of them called to her as the books did. She was grateful that Scar brought one of those Enderheart Trees over. It’s purple wood and silver leaves did much to brighten her mood, but as she waited to be of use to the only two actual Galactic readers and magic users she put her body on autopilot and let her mind wander.

Being mostly dead comes with many great advantages like being able to ignore things like hunger or tiredness or pain a lot easier but that is also a disadvantage because now you don’t know you’re approaching your limits till they’re ready to smack you upside the head with a brick, and poor Cleo hadn’t had a good nights sleep since before the Overseer arrived. So as she entered her almost sixth day of little to no sleep even though her body didn’t feel it her mind did and in her autopilot state began a waking dream.

Reality began to leave as she was working on a small armor stand made of enderheart. Soon she wasn’t in the side room of the makeshift library. No. She was a director and was slightly annoyed that she had to mend a costume now of all times when showtime was mere minutes away.

“All right everyone Places!” She called out to gathered actors and stagehands. “Opening Night. You only have one chance to make a first impression. So Smile! Project! And please don’t forget your line, and if you do Improv quickly we should all know this play backward and forwards. So lets WOW! Them” She finished gesturing with signature purple director’s baton.

Soon she was in the music section when she wasn’t using her baton to keep the musicians on track. She was using it on the actors, and even though she knew they probably couldn’t see her movements and gestures it did help ease her mind instead of just sitting with her hands folded in her lap.

Soon enough tho all the hard worked had paid off as the curtain was just about to come down with a crowd giving a standing ovation. She was making her way up to the stage to take part in the staff final bow that was soon to happen after the actors’ and as she took her bow grinning ear to ear that _ I, Poultryman _ was a success suddenly the world went askew as the audience and her actors disappeared.

Cleo looked around in confusion trying to find out where they all went to and while she couldn’t find them she soon found Joe and Grian looking quite concerned.

“Cleo? Are you all right?” Grian asked in a very slow and deliberate voice. Cleo had no idea why he and Joe were looking at her that way or why they were in their street clothes.

“I’m just fine you two, and why aren’t you two in nicer clothes? I told you this premiere was black tie.” Cleo said matter of factly If it wasn’t for Grian’s look of confusion followed by him half mumbling answers and gesturing wildly. Cleo might have noticed that Joe wasn’t in sight any more but she hadn’t noticed which allowed Joe to sneak up on his friend and dump a bucket of cold water on her.

The water was more than just a little shock even to her mostly dead system, but before she could demand why Joe ruined her nice dress. The Theater and her dress melted away and soon her senses came back to her.

“You see Grian, Cleo was having a waking dream and in such a predicament as that it is often best to wake her before some outside force like a creeper does it for her,” Joe said calmly to Grian even as he offered a towel to Cleo.

“That was one time Joe. And I am still sorry about your stable.” Cleo rebutted but no heat was in her words except some fires of embarrassment. “I didn’t break anything did?”

“Um no,” Grian answered, “Quite the contrary in fact if you were to look behind you.”

Cleo turned to follow Grian’s gaze and saw quite the sight. Twenty or more armor stands made of enderheart were there but more than that they were moving. Sure they may only be repeating a few seconds worth of actions but they were moving. It was at this time Cleo realized she held a death grip on something. She looked down at her hand to see her director’s baton, a long and thin stick of enderheart. On an instinct more than anything else, she pointed at a pair of stands that seemed to be dancing and ordered them to come at attention. Suddenly the two stands stopped then stood perfectly straight. She then ordered parade rest and the stands legs stance widened as their arms went behind their backs.

“Ok this is cool and all but who made all this for me?” Cleo asked as she began trying to get the stands to clean themselves up. Grian and Joe just kinda looked at each other for a moment before they bot gestured at her own hands and arms and that is when she finally saw that she herself was creating the magic that fueled the stands automation and the power of the baton over them.

Cleo was now a magic user like Joe and Grian. She could now do the things they could but in her sleep-deprived state all she could muster at such a revelation was a simple and small, “Awesome”. Before the world went dark and Joe and Grian both raced to catch her with their magic.

Needless to say, tomorrow will be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The Overseer sat at his desk and did his best to make sense of the stacks of papers before him. The number of watchers needed to safely update the world 2B2T had ballooned from the estimated one hundred or so to nearly five hundred and as such he was sharing the headache with several other Overseers who were also trying to figure out how to cough up enough spare watchers for the endeavor.

“Eighty watchers,” He sighed to himself as he shook his head, “ I don’t even have a hundred, and they demand I give them eighty?” He decided that at least for the moment he could ignore that problem to focus on some of the others on his desk of purpur. As he pretended to work his gaze drifted over to a small statue of a watcher made of obsidian that had many watcher symbols floating above it. It took a moment before the meaning of the symbols finally clicked in his head.

“Has it been three days already?” He asked the office and paperwork around him. Trying to figure out how time seemed to both have flown by him and drag on into infinity.

“That is correct, Sir” Came the melodic tone of his apprentice as she walked in. “If you are referring to the amount of time since you visited the new world of the player Grian.” She finished as she said as she down across from him, and deposited a few more pieces of paper on his desk.

“More work Apprentice? Have I not bled enough?” He asked with a theatrical sigh and gesture with his hand over his heart.

This caused a giggle to form in the apprentice that try as she might she could not stifle it or the wide smile causing both to color her words. “Of course sir. How else am I supposed to have you bled dry by next week?” Her answer caused a laugh to form his chest that with it cause her to redouble her own laughter which then in turn fed into his. They didn’t know exactly how long they sat there laughing but it was long enough for someone to enter without their notice.

“And thus we see how hard our wonderful Overseer and his precious apprentice works.” Came a voice from the doorway to the office that didn’t even try to hide the contempt in his voice or the sneer on his face.

“Watcher, What can I do for you?” The overseer asked making a point to ignore the disrespect he was just shown.

“Are you sure you can answer my question? You seem quite busy with such vital work.” Came the watcher’s snide rebuttal.

“Watcher. What do you need?” The Overseer asked starting to clench his teeth.

“But truly you seem engrossed by work that must move the heavens. I don’t know if I ca-” The watcher nocked down to the floor mid-sentence by a fourth figure making their way into the office. As the stricken watcher started to rise he called forth his staff to strike back at whoever and struck him only to stop mid-swing when he saw the dark wings and darker robes of a magister.

“I pray I am not interrupting?” The magister asked the Overseer and his apprentice. The two both replied with “Of course not”. The magister then turned his focus to the watcher on the floor or numbly repeated “of course not.”

“Good.” He said before moving to stand in front of the Overseer’s desk.

“What brings you to my humble office. Magistrate?” The Overseer asked as he tried to keep the nervousness he was feeling off of his face and out of his voice.

“I think it only fitting that you hear our conclusion in regards to the deaths of the Watchers of Evo at the hands of the player and former watcher apprentice Grian.” 

“Justice will be served.” The Watcher said as he regained his footing, a dark smile on his face.

“Wrong tense,” The magister said much to the confusion of the watcher. “Justice was served. When Grian in full rights of the Lex autem Ducis, Won against the former Watchers of Evo who had broken the laws of Secundus and Tertius.”

“You can’t be serious?” the Watcher asked disbelief and frustration clear upon his face.

“Quite serious. The player Grian despite the odds against him from his lack of both magical and Watcher training was able to best two watchers who were at full power and before that aid in the removal of a vile mask of compulsion forcibly cast upon his friend the player Joe Hills. If Grian’s grievances were not just. He would not have won.”

The magister cracked a small smile at the sight of the watcher whose mouth hung upon worked fruitlessly. He turned his gaze back to the Overseer, “We have provided the players of that world accept the offer made the arrangements for you Overseer to be their Watcher. Probably feel nice to do some fieldwork again.”

“This is a mockery of Justice!” The watcher yelled, “How could a lowly player ever be more just then one of us? I demand new Inquest!”

“Why?” The magister asked in a calm voice, “So that the rest may hear of your former teachers’ sins?.”

The question struck the watcher like a physical blow, causing him to take a step back to keep his balance.

“What they did to Evo was horrible but their own records and words betray the fact that Evo was not the first and would not have been the last. If they had their chance. They thought themselves greater than they were and for that pride paid the ultimate price. Now that I have delivered my news I bid you all a good day.” With that, the magister calmly turned around and made his way towards the door but seemed to fade into a shadow and disappear before ever reaching it.

The news had caused the dark mood of the Overseer and his Apprentice to immediately lift and both were grinning ear to ear. So joyous were the two that they didn’t notice the other watcher leave or the look of dark determination on his face.

\------------

Cleo didn’t so much wake up but more came back from a pit of absolute dark and as she looked around it took a bit before she realized she was in her bedroom on her ship and after hearing the turn of a page that someone was nearby reading.

“Um, Hello?” She asked past the curtains around her bed roughly where she heard the page turn.

“Good your awake.” Came a friendly tone that as the curtains parted she saw the warm smile of Joe tho it must have been a cool night since Joe was wearing what looked like one of Grian’s jumpers. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Ahhh…” She started her face squinched up in concentration, “You and grian were translating. I really could help much with that. Scar brought one of those purple trees over. There were armor stands and then I hallucinated that I made them move with an enderheart stick.”

“Yup thats right all except for the last part. Cleo you did make them move.” He said pointing at the purple stick resting near her bed that was faintly glowing then pointing at a purple stand that was nearby mopping the floor.

“What?” Cleo asked, completely dumbfounded at the sight.

“Yeah on our way here some of the stands kind of followed you and you woke up enough as we were getting you into bed that you wanted the decks spotless and here we are,” Joe answered scratching the back of his neck during the explanation.

Cleo you just stared at the armor stand and the stick and her own faintly glowing scars. She blinked rapidly several times as she processed all the information. As she did so Joe got up from her bedside then returned a few seconds later with a glass of a dark cold liquid. Cleo took a sip of the liquid without thinking twice and after the taste hit her tongue and was then registered by her brain she looked back at it and asked, “Chocolate Milk?”

“Yeah, Grian says that having something that's like 100% comfort is a good way to bounce back after the first few times you completely drain yourself of mana,” Joe answered.

“So you made me, chocolate milk?” Cleo asked as she took another drink feeling herself start to smile.

“Well I also made some soup, and while I know I’m not as good as you or Stress it’s only fair since you brought me soup in bed that I do the same for you. Right magic scar buddy?” Joe continued his smile threatning to consume his face as he went to get the soup.

“Right only fair.” Cleo agreed as she sat up a bit more so she could eat it. The two hermits ate their soup in relative silence just enjoying the taste of the broth and company. Once the soup and milk were done Cleo felt tired again after some weak protest Joe had her back in bed proper and sleeping sound. He checked his watch and saw that it was roughly 2:30 in the morning he shook his head and went back to his reading. Despite all the good things happening recently and the promises of The Overseer. Joe couldn’t help but feel a storm was coming and that it would be a hurricane.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Grian couldn’t sleep, there was just too much to think about with all this Overseer/watcher stuff and all the things he gave them. There was just too much to process and since there were no major projects he needed to work on and translating the books was put on hold till the morning, Grian decided to just fly around.

Grian loved to fly back when he just had an elytra but now that he had real wings his loved it even more since now it was even easier to pull off sharp turns and some other tricks, that being said he still had to be careful as he had gotten a little too close to the ground on many occasions. Tonight on this night flight he had made his way to Hermitville and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the build off or of its conclusion of a three-way tie. He took a perch at the top of his dragon and just took everything in.

As he sat there, it didn’t take long for him to see that he wasn’t alone in his late-night ramblings. He flew towards where he saw the movement and found himself nearing Ravanger’s Run. As he landed near the start of the minigame he saw that his fellow insomniac was non-other than Cub.

Cub kept looking at the entrance to his game along with the backsides of many of the facades and seemed to be building small walls of very block types before stepping back and making a note of it before moving on to another block. Grian watched him cycle through roughly twenty or so different blocks before he decided on one. Cub was in the middle of trying to figure something out on his notepad his pencil alternating from writing furiously to its eraser bouncing on the edge of the pad when Grian finally spoke up.

“Emerald for your thoughts?”

Cub jumped a little bit almost losing grip on his pencil and notepad in the sudden surprised jerk of his body but he held on to them if just. “Woah, Jesus man you scared me.”

Grian looked a little meek and sorry his wings folding tight against his body, “Sorry.”

“No worries, but just try not to sneak up on people.” Cub just shook his head a bit smiling, “So how long you been here?”

“Since the red sandstone and granite wall test.”

“Ahh, Yeah just trying to make this game look a little neater and cleaner.”

“Dry Kelp?” Grain asked incredulously.

“Yeah I know it’s not the best but I do have an idea for accents to help but I really just need this to not be such an eyesore from the outside. Granted I wouldn’t have to worry about this if someone here didn’t decide to start Hermitland.”

“I’m sorry,” Grian said with a grin. Hands up in mock surrender, “But with Iskall’s Game of doom and your game it just kinda clicked.”

Cub chuckled, “Yeah I suppose it did. Still going to take forever to do this wall though.”

“Got the blocks?”

“Back at the Concorp Compound, why?”

“I don’t think the sandman is coming for me tonight so I might as well do something productive.”

Cub nodded his head at the statement and the two got to work. The trip through the nether both ways was uneventful so after the stop at Concorp’s super smelter and kelp farm, the two Hermits had enough blocks for the task at hand. The two went about building the wall in silence and just as dawn was about to break Grian finished with the last bit of kelp while Cub added the accents and flourishes around the entrance.

The two hermits looked at their work and couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Cub and Grian looked at each other and were about to say something when they both saw something streaming through the sky and heard it crash aways south of them. The two stood there dumbfounded for a second as their sleep-deprived minds tried to process what they just witnessed when both of their communicators went off.

Docm77: Grian and Cub you two up?

Cubfan135: Ahh Yeah.

Grian: Yes

Docm77: Good yu both need to get here now.

Cubfan135: And where is here?

Docm77: Area 77 

Grian and Cubfan135: And that is where?

Docm77: Aways South of Hermit Land look for the big military looking base with towers and wire. Scar will be there at the gate to let you two in. 

Docm77: Hurry

Grian and Cubfan135: On it.

With that done they both put their communicators back in their pockets and got ready for their flight. Cub started munching down a few golden carrots while Grian started doing some stretches but doing so Grian lost his balance for a second and had to catch himself on the kelp wall he had just finished. Cub rushed over offering some golden carrots and a potion Grian didn’t recognize. Cub seemed insistent so Grain made a quick meal of the carrots and as he drank the potion for a second the whole world seemed to shift and Grain felt as if the world was running at half speed or something. He looked around quickly and felt his heartbeat increase in speed greatly as well as he heard a loud clear buzzing in his ears. He was about to fly in the midst of this panic only for Cub to tackle him. He wanted to ask Cub what in the world he had done to him but as soon as the strange feelings had come over him they left and he could start thinking clearly again.

“What in the world was that Cub?” Grian asked through panting breaths as he fought to get his racing heart under control.

“A Concorp exclusive that is still very very much in development. The clerics who cooked that up say it’s a fusion of a speed, nourishment, health and stamina potion. The problem as you probably realized is all those effects don’t like to play nice with each other. But it wakes ya up better than a cup a coffee and a cold shower.” Cub finished only going halfway into his salesman’s voice.

“Alright,” Grian said now fully back to himself, “Any other side effects I should know about?”

“No, not really but we should probably get going because there is about a 34% chance that when all those effects wearout you may crash and sleep for well... no more than a day and a half,” Cub said trying to give his best Salesman’s grin.

Grian gave Cub an even look and just shook his head as he chuckled. “Well then let’s be off”

After a fair bit of flying the two saw what must have been Area 77. They saw a fence that seemed to encircle a large chunk of land along with various guard towers. They also saw a lot of lights at a point down the wall and flew towards it. As they neared they could make out some sort of checkpoint and what looked like Scar in blue PJs pacing up and down near the entrance of the checkpoint.

As the pair landed and started heading towards the gate they could make out a number of Security cameras on not only the gate but the fence as well along with the guards who seemed to be a mix of Villagers in military fatigues and along with iron golems but what made these golems stand out is it seemed some wear wearing armor.

When Scar saw them he blew out a breath. “Good your here, hehe,” Scar said with a nervous chuckle, “If you two just follow me, Doc can explain, hehe”

The Two followed Scar as he made his way through the gates and checks and while the guards and golems nodded or saluted Scar they just stared at Cub and Grian. The weight of those eyes causing both of them to quicken their pace.

As they stayed on the path and followed Scar who Grian noticed that his PJs had a monogrammed name of  _ General Angryeyes. _ They made it towards what looked like an airfield and saw several hangers and what looked like a crater on the tarmac where whatever it was must have crashed but while some Iron Golems were patrolling the crater and some Villagers in white coats seemed to be sweeping the area whatever crashed wasn’t there now. Soo enough tho they made it in front of a bunker built into a mountain. Scar quickly punched a code on a keypad and then whispered a phrase and door appeared and opened for them.

As the three entered what looked like a big warehouse they saw Doc standing next to what looked like a bed fused with a crafting table and furnace along with some redstone bits that Grian could only guess at.

As Cub and Grain neared they saw what was laying on the bed. It wore a red jumper tho it was now very tattered and burned and one could guess from what was left of the ruin below the waist that a pair of grey pants were once there. The being there moved but in jerky movements and now with an audible whine of grinding and sticking gears. It still had both of its arms although the left looked bent and maybe dislocated but the face and head of hair were still pristine and it was a face all there new well for it was a copy of Grian’s.

“Hell-o,” The being from the bed stuttered, “It is goo-d to see- You. I woul-d ask if if if- you would like-ike to build a rust-ic house. But I I I’m in no shape for that.”

“NPC Grian!” Grain yelled out in shock rushing over to the side of his doppelganger, What happened to you?”

“I re-reached terminal veloci-oci-ocity.” NPC Grian responded.

“But how are you here? I left you on Evo!”

“Is this this this not Evo?” NPC Grain asked looking around as much as he could with a look of mild confusion.

“No,” Grian answered a tinge of sadness in his voice.

“What hapen to to Evo?”

“The watchers, the ones I nicknamed Braid and Crown. Destroyed it and them.” Grian answered his copy. The look of confusion continued on NPC Grian’s face for a moment but once it regerastered the whirring and clicking of machinery increased tenfold.

“No no no no,” NPC Grain said trying to shake his head, “Salem, Netty, Martyn, Zee..”

“Gone.”

NPC Grian’s eyes went as wide as they could as he turned as much as he could to look at Grian a tremble appearing in his tone, “Ta-Ta-Ta Taurtis?”

Grain smiled as he answered, “Safe, he’s here in this world in fact.”

NPC Grian seemed to relax visibly, “Can’t auto-to-to repair can.” He was cut off as Grain said, “All take care of it.”

“Alright, I will-ill-ill enter stand-and-andby mode.” and with that NPC Grian closed his eyes and the grinding and whirring slowed and became still. 

The other three hermits stood by Grain and his double for a second before Doc asked, “Okay glad you had a heart to heart but can you explain who that is and how it got here?”

Grian answered, “As for the how I don’t know but I can answer who. This is NPC Grian. He’s a bit of a mechanical double I made back on Evo. Originally it was to be an extra pair of hands for pranks and stuff but his only real passion was building rustic style houses.”

“Um Grian I thought you didn’t know redstone, So how did you make a robot double?” Doc asked while Scar and Cub began to leave.

“I don’t know that much redstone but NPC Grian is more like an iron golem,” Grian respond as he started making mental notes of what he needs to make repairs.

“Um, How did you make Grian golem?” The pajama-clad Scar asked still fretting about still full of anxious energy.

“Long Story. Short version I found a ritual to summon and bind some sort of chaos spirit and I was currently in a prank war and wanted some help. So I spent a week or so making his body than did the rite and here we are.” Grain said matter of factly. “Now if we are done with twenty questions. Cub I’m gonna need another one of those potions and Doc I’m gonna need some supplies and help to get him back in tip-top shape.

Scar puffed out his chest a bit and looked like he was gonna give the full Angry Eyes treatment to Grian but Doc cut him off and told him to go. That he’ll handle it. Cub passed another potion to Grian with the warning that drinking another would raise the likely hood of a crash to about 78%. Grian only nodded as he creaked his neck and knuckles and got to work with Doc at his side

\------------

As the pair left the bunker warehouse, Scar making sure the door was secured. He then started leading Cub out of the base but while the entry was made with haste the exit was more sedate. The pair walked in silence until Cub broke it.

“So when were you going to tell me about this?” Cub asked keeping his hands clasped behind his back but still letting his words gesture for him.

Scar answered his friend and collogue in a very small and almost ashamed voice, “I wasn’t”

Cub turned to face Scar, both disapproval and hurt were clear in Cub’s eyes but the rest of his face was a stern mask. “I see.”

Silence returned for a time before Scar finally spoke, “Do you? Do you really?” As he spoke more iron was added to his voice, “Come on man you have to have seen that even before the whole Watcher business strange and dangerous things were happening. Salmon ghosts, mutated plants, Strange items and builds just dropping out of the sky. The Center could not hold Cub.” The iron turned to dust and was blown away as Scar started to shake.

“Please believe me. I wanted to tell you, but this stuff Doc and I have been finding from idols that can summon forth your darkness. It’s terrifying and both Doc and I agreed to protect you all and that we will suffer the nightmares so you don’t.”

Things were still for a moment as both men stood there. Scar trying and failing to stop himself from crying but all the bottled up emotions once they started they would stop. Scar didn’t see Cub come any closer so when the fellow hermit wrapped him up in a hug it came as a surprise. Cub didn’t say anything just let Scar calm down and once he was he said without any malice or scorn, “Scar you idiot. We’re Concorp man. We help each other no matter what.”

When the hug ended Scar looked at Cubs face to not see the cold mask but his friend and business partner’s smile even if it was a bit lopsided due to sleepiness. “So we’re still friends?” Scar managed to squeak.

“Of course you dolt. But this does hurt man. Although it would be nice to see how you two outfitted the golems and to see inside of some of the buildings.” Scar was about to raise an object but cub cut him off, “Don’t worry I won’t ask to see in the warehouse or labs or what have you but the lower security stuff will be fine. If the Cheif of Security is ok with that.”

Scar starting to laugh a little said, “Good thing I’m Cheif then but I will need Doc to countersign the request forms and since I’m guessing he’s gonna be busy for a while. If you need a place to crash I have a guest room at my on-base housing.”

Cub answered with a dramatic yawn and told his friend to lead the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus NPC Grian has joined the battle and Yes I know this isn't how Area 77 was created but I figure that the whole Watcher business and Taurtis's sudden arrival made Doc and Scar get started earlier. And there are no hippies since this Grian hasn't Time Traveled or if he has he made sure to pick up his machine and not leave it in next some trees.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The Overseer dashed backward as a lance of eldritch power struck where he was standing. He kept moving jumping left and right as more bolts came towards him. As he neared the source of the bolts he called forth a shield and bull-rushed the Watcher but while the watcher did stumble he did not fall so the Overseer dashed back again covering his retreat with a conjured spray of arcane sparks.

“Watcher this is a foolish act.” The Overseer said to his adversary who only answered with a battle roar and sent forth a barrage of bolts. But the sparks caused the barrage to miss. 

The adversary was panting heavyily looking left and right for the Overseer. When he heard the rustles of wings he only had a split second to react and narrowly dodge another shield bash from the Overseer but suffered minor burns from another casting of sparks. The adversary screamed in surprise as the burns formed.

“End this, Please!” 

“Pretender! False Watcher! Foolish Player!” The adversary screamed back froth pouring from his mouth as he called forth torrent searing flame from his hand in a column as thick as a tree trunk aimed directly at where the Overseer stood.

As the flame engulfed the overseer the adversary grinned in manic glee. So engrossed at his apparent victory the adversary didn’t even care at the sound of approaching footsteps. He didn’t even register the sound of a staff whistling through the air till it struck the side of his head and sent the mask he wore sailing off his face to clatter on the floor.

“This is endgame.” The Overseer said breathing heavily as his lungs burned from the effort. “Do you yield?.”

The Watcher turned towards the Overseer blood dripping from his nose and mouth as all his eyes staring with hatred of the blackest kind. “This isn’t over. I’ll-” He was cut off as the Overseer brought his staff down hard on his knee, a sickly shattered sound was heard as he screamed out in pain.

“Do you yield?” 

The adversary stayed on the ground screaming and shaking both in pain and in impotent rage. The Overseer Raised his staff high again but looked at the watcher his foe picked to be his second. The Second looked terrified but was able to stammer out, “We Yield.”

With those simple words, the Overseer blew out a breath and let his constructs dissolve. A group of watchers rushed to the side and aid of the foe and as he prepared to leave his opponent now standing only with the aid of his friends loudly proclaimed, “You may have won today but tomorrow is a new day and your last one draws near.”

The Overseer took careful note of their different signs and as he turned to leave responded with “Go see the Chiurgeon. So they can get you put back together and also thanks all of you for volunteering for the 2B2T project.” The moans of annoyance at the order along with the choking sounds from his foe made him maybe a little bit too pleased with himself, his own second his apprentice following close.

The overseer heard many remarks at his proclamation but he was just happy to have ten more spots filled for that mess that is 2B2T’s update. As he returned to his office he was feeling pretty good. Sure his muscles and lungs burned more than he thought they should but he hopefully taught the former student of Braid and Crown some humility and respect as well as show those who think like him that you don’t become overseer by winning a scavenger hunt.

He closed the door to his office after his apprentice walked through and as he began to speak she turned around a slapped him full on his face. He looked at his apprentice shocked his hand on reflex going to touch where he was struck.

His vision briefly went red as he looked at his apprentice only for the red to instantly fade as he saw that her breath was catching and it was apparent she had been crying. Any anger he felt was replaced with concern as he asked, “Why are you crying? Dear Apprentice.”

“That was a dangerous and foolish stunt you did.” She answered keeping her voice level as her body still shook.

“He and his comrades needed to learn respect and humility.”

“Maybe, but a duel? A proper and answered challenge? Sir, you are strong and skilled but not as fast as you once were. And if you were to have lost..” She trailed off her body starting to shake again. The Overseer moved and embraced her. His arms wrapping around her and chin resting on the top of her head.

“Not ready to be an Overseer yet?” he asked as he held her.

“Not just that but if… if you would have lost. He could have become the Overseer.” She answered her voice still trembling and small. “I don’t think I could live with him as my master and you… and you.” The tears started once more and the Overseer held her telling her everything is alright.

  
  


\------------

Joe Hills awoke still sitting in the chair next to Cleo’s bed a book in his lap. The world was out of focus but a quick look at Cleo’s bedside table saw his glasses resting there. As he got his glasses back on and stood up to stretch he checked his watch which was happily informing him that it was the crack of 1:39 in the afternoon. He glanced back at Cleo’s bed and was not surprised to see it empty but was to see a note.

_ Joe, _

_ I’m at the Scriptorum. This purple moving armorstand business reminded me of something from the boos you and Grian translated. _

_ Cleo _

After reading the note Joe made his way off the Ship and to the Scriptorum. As he entered the makeshift building he passed by some brewing stands he saw many of the purple stands were moving around but while before their actions were very simple and repetitive. The stands were now moving around and seemed to be doing rather complex tasks.

As he meandered and made his path towards the main room of this makeshift building he saw near the table and shelves that he and Grian had been toiling away at for the last couple of days. There was a strange conglomerate of carved posts that appeared to made of many different kinds of wood let alone the Enderheart.

As he began to truly inspect the strange construct and make note of the symbols that were archaic and eldritch in power a voice broke him from his investigative musings. It was the voice of Cleo and after he turned around to greet her in kind he was surprised at what his eyes beheld. Cleo was before him but not as her normal self. Now her normal skin color of grey was replaced with healthy pink. Her flower crown which before was more sedate now was brimming with life.

“Cleo! You’re alive?” Joe stammered.

“Well duh, of course, I’m alive.” She smirked, “Now I’m just not as dead.”

“Why?” Joe asked his mind racing.

Cleo gestured at the very posts Joe had been examining earlier. “As it turns out the reason my stands could only do simple things was I didn’t have a main focal point thingy knowledge machigger. So after making one I then needed gems to copy bits of memory on the problem was the spell for the memory copy thingy didn’t like undead brains. So downing one disgusting weakness potion and a Gapple to cleanse the palette later. Here we are.” Cleo finished with a bow and flourish of her new Enderheart Staff.

Joe was still stunned at all the new information and as Cleo helped him sit down he took a hard look at the animated stands and while they didn’t have any armor or clothing on as he watched them he began to think he noticed little things about how they went about whatever job they were doing that just kinda seemed Cleo-y.

As he pondered these new revelations a sapphire the size of his fist was plonked in front of him startling him back to the here and now.

“Uh? What?”

“Well Since I got a lot of these guys working on organizing and building this place. All I need is a few translators problem is I’m not the best at Galatic but.” 

“But I am.” Joe finished for her. “So what do I need to do?”

“Oh that’s easy just focus on the gem, think galactic thoughts and let me do the work.” With that Joe focused on the gem and tried to think on the Galatic language while he saw Cleo grab some notes she must have made and then started to chant something. Joe tried to understand what she was saying but every time he thought he figured out some part of its meter or rhythm but just as he thought he grasped it the language would slip away. So frustrated went back to wholly focusing on the gem and Galactic.

To Joe, the whole of creation at that moment was Cleo’s chanting, the gem and his focus. So absolute was it that when the rite ended and the world came back it was almost too much for him and when it felt like his mind might implode. Cleo was there with a glass of Chocolate Milk, and even though the world seemed askew and not on right Joe knew that he was ok because Cleo was there and she puts more chocolate in the milk then most.

  
  


\------------

Npc Grian came out of stand by mode his subsystems reporting back that all his extremities had been restored as well as a system message telling him that some updates had been successfully installed.

He dismissed the various massages and with his view unobstructed he saw that he was no longer in the entry hall where he entered stand by, he was now in what looked like some sort of medical treatment facility with its lights dimmed. He looked down at himself and saw that he was now wearing a patient’s gown, which only made sense since his entry ruined his previous attire.

As he began to look around he soon found why the lights were dimmed. In a medical bed near his own lay Grian sleeping soundly. He took a quick scan of Grian to insure his health was fine and well the scan did come out that he was fine Npc was very confused at the wings on Grians’ back. He checked his most recent memories of his creator and remembered seeing the wings when he last saw Grian but not any of the time before that.

He decided to let his creator rest and made his way out of the treatment room as he did he found someone sitting at a desk in what he could only guess was some sort of monitoring station as he saw other doors connected to this room. This person was wearing what must have once been a pristine lab coat but now was wrinkled and stained at the edges as well as Npc Grian noted that this person’s right arm and left eye appeared to be artificial. As he approached this person they greeted him.

“Good Afternoon,” The person said looking up from some paperwork.

“Afternoon,” Npc answered automatically not able to see a clock to see if this person’s greeting was accurate.

“And how is the patient today?”

“All my systems are fully functional but I do have questions. First of all who are you? And where am I?”

The person at the station laughed a bit and answered, “My name is Docm77 but my friends call me Doc and this,” He said using the hand holding a pencil to gesture to encompass the whole area, “Is the Secure Hospital of Area 77”

“Well, Mr. Docm77. What is an Area 77?”

“Please, Doc will be fine. Any Friend of Grian’s is a friend of mine. And Area 77 is..” He stopped for a moment scratching at some stubble on his chin. “Well, it’s a safety net. You see here every now and again strange and/or dangerous/anomalous objects and creatures find their way to our happy little world and Myself and others work to secure whatever it is. Make sure it is more than sufficiently contained and we do this to protect everyone else here. Make sense?”

“Yes, Does this mean I’m I an anomalous object to be contained?”

Doc chuckled softly as he shook his head, “No you are someone who got caught up in extraordinary circumstances beyond your control, and once we are sure your all good we’ll let you off to your own devices.”

Npc Grian took that information in and was thankful he wouldn’t have to possibly fight someone because while he may not be a graceful combatent he more than made up with that with raw strength.

“And what must we do for me to be,  _ All good _ ?”

He asked Doc who motioned for him to take a seat near where he was working. Doc moved those papers to the side and grabbed some others that he quickly put on a clipboard and redied it along with his pencil. Npc Grian took the seat and thought that despite looking like simple office furniture was quite comfy.

“Well first of all before your anvil impression what do you remember?”

Npc Grian thought on that and went over his records and after reanalyzing them asked, “Do you want a full breakdown or just a summery?”

“Summery, for now, we can always get the rest later.”

“The others on Evo were searching Grian’s various bases after they fought the ender dragon. Apparently even tho they all jumped in at nearly the same moment they all had to fight the dragon one on one. I was charging in a side cupboard off of Grians test lab in the capital of his so-called empire. At first, they thought I was Grian until I greeted them and they took note of my mechanical quirks and limitations. I then joined the search… I did a lot of searching. We all did. 15 days had passed since their finding of me and while I was searching a jungle that seemed to just appear far to the east of Evo Downtown. While I was there is when the sky got weird.”

“Weird? How So?”

“One second it was day then night then day again. I thought that maybe something was wrong with me and as I checked my diagnostics it changed again this time it filled with the red fog of the nether than black of the void then it was as if the sky broke because pieces of it seemed to fall and where they struck the ground there would shimmer and twist between what it was and to some nether or end version before imploding in on itself ceasing to be. Not wishing to implode I ran and I ran than I started to fall as I did I dodge several of these sky fragments but a falling temple struck me hard and when I regained my senses I was falling and then crashing on to the tarmac here at Area 77.”

Doc was silent as his writing caught up with the Npc Grian’s story. As Npc Grian just sat there his mind just kept returning and focusing on the memories of everyone from Evo and as he did he felt his torso tighten and the world turned blurry. He sat there like this for a moment before Doc looked up from his clipboard and concern quickly filled Doc and he put his hand on Npc Grian’s shoulder and asked, “Hey man, you alright?”

“My apologies,” He answered through hiccuping breaths, “I’m having a strange malfunction.”

“No your not.” Doc answered sympathy and compassion in his voice, “Your grieving.”

“What?”

“Talking about it finally made it real. Cause well it may have been real here,” Doc said as he touched Npc Grian’s head, “But here was still in denial.” He finished pointing at the center of Npc Grian’s chest.

Npc Grian tried to process what was told and he couldn’t argue that telling what happened seemed to cement its reality. He was silent for a moment before he asked, “When does it stop?”

Doc grimaced a bit before answering, “It doesn’t. But the pain does lessen but whether it’s from just time making a distance from it or getting used to it or just being able to think of the good times without the bad creeping in.” 

All was silent before Doc put his clipboard and pencil down, “Well we can finish these questions later. But for now, why don’t we take you to get some new clothes.” Doc said standing up and offering a hand to Npc Grian to help him up. Npc Grian still sat for a second before taking the hand. Doc took him to a side a room and began rummaging for some clothes but soon enough Npc Grian was wearing dark pants and shoes with a blue button shirt. He commented that they felt stiff and Doc answered that they were freshly starched. The two made small talk as they waited for Grian to wake up. Since the day when all the Hermits decide if they want a Watcher draws ever nearer along with a storm.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Grian awoke both to the beeps and chirps of his communicator going off and the sounds of talking just outside his impromptu bedroom. He stood up and shuffled out towards the voices, his eyes squinting barely open. He saw the voices belonged to Doc and a now blue-shirted Npc Grian.

“Whas Hapfen?Ad aynfim ta ete?” He asked in fluent sleep.

Npc Grian was sadly not fluent in sleep and only stared at his creator his mind whirring to try and determine if that collection of sounds even had meaning. Doc, on the other hand, had been where Grian was and knew the language well.

“Not much Npc Grian and I just filling out some forms and no but a Late Lunch sounds good to me.”

Npc Grian looked at Doc then Grian and back again. Confusion clearly plastered on his face. Grian silently nodded and went to look/answer some of his massages as he let Doc lead him.

The trio made their way to a cafeteria which was evidently not at peak period. As they made the way through the line with Doc and Grian gathering food made by the various villager cooks on staff onto trays. Npc Grian couldn’t help but notice some new feelings and was reminded of the massages he disregarded earlier about upgrades. For as he traveled with the other two he found himself breathing in deeper around some of the offered food and also found himself looking intensely at some of the dishes as well.

Not knowing what to do he stayed silent and followed Doc and Grian who quickly enough found a table off in a corner and began to eat. They talked about… something Npc Grian did try to pay attention really he did but he kept looking at the food on their trays. Roasted chicken, seasoned vegetables, some sort of thick bread that the only way he could describe was warm and rustic and last but not least cookies, still gooey and soft.

He didn’t know how long he stared at the food nor did he know how long it was till he noticed that the conversation had stopped and both Doc and Grian were looking at him concerned.

“Npc Grian are you alright?” Grian asked putting down a bit of the chicken.

“Unsure. I can’t stop looking at your food and I feel an emptiness inside me just above my waist.”

At that Grian’s eyes went wide as he turned to Doc, “Doc I can’t really remember did we actually install a Bio-reactor? Or just talk about it?”

Doc had to repeat what Grian said once or twice before his eyes widen too. “Oh man, Crap, I think we did.”

“Bio-reactor?” Npc Grian asked as he wondered why the trays looked better to him than one thousand rustic houses.

Grian stood up and quickly went back into the line with a new tray as Doc stayed and said, “Yeah last night when we were patching you up. Grian mentioned how there were a lot of things he wanted to do to make you better and one was a way for you to get energy from ways other than a charging port.”

Any further explanation was cut off when Grian gave a tray ladened with food to Npc Grian who only stared confused for a nanosecond before he promptly dug. Despite the gusto and speed at which he consumed his artificial analytical mind still allowed him to savor and enjoy every flavor in its entirety. 

The Chicken was hot and juicy, the vegetables made a merry melody of contrasts, the bread was hearty and with or without butter was amazing and last but definitely not least the cookies soft, sweet, warm, gooey, chocolaty, need we say more? When he had eaten all that was on his tray he noticed a bottle of golden apple juice next to his tray and mimicked the motion he had seen Doc and Grian do earlier and down its wonderful tart contents as well.

Once done he felt satisfied, a small smile resting on his face. His hunger sated he looked at both Doc and Grian and said, “That was quite good, but anything else I should know about?”

Doc and Grian had a frenzied conversation as they compared what they could remember clearly. In the end, they had reached a consensus on what was done and Grian answered, “Aside from the bio-reactor plus the senses that go with it and repairs. I believe the only other changes were an increase in tactile feedback and an upgrade to help you emote easier.”

Npc Grian was confused he understood the tactile upgrade sense he thought back on how he had noted the comfiness of the chair or the stiffness of his new clothes but the last comment was a mystery to him at least until Doc ran into the nearby restroom and came out holding a mirror.

He looked at his own reflection and saw his own confused look which quickly became one of surprise. Npc Grian held the mirror and just spent a few minutes making faces the only constant being how his eyes began to sparkle with joy.

Doc and Grian were content to watch the success of a sleepless night but Grian’s communicator went off again. He looked down at it and shook his head.

“Thank you for all the help Doc. But seems there is some situation at Sahara that I need to be there for.” Grian said stretching before making his way towards the door. Doc quickly radioing in oks for Grian’s take off.

The two watched Grian leave and afterward, Doc turned and said, “I hear you like building. Would you like a Job?”

Npc Grian’s eyes sparkled like fireworks at that.

\------------

Sahara came into view as Grian left the nether portal of the shopping district his mind a buzz at possible problems that would require all three architects there and he was ready to prove his innocence since he had not put anything into the system that shouldn’t be there.

As he came in for a landing in the inner courtyard he saw Iskall and Mumbo waiting for him along with X, Tango and TFC.

“What’s going on guys? Are we doing a joint business venture?” Grian asked

“No” Tango answered.

“And I’m still waiting to be paid from the last one,” Xisuma added.

At the last remark, Grian shot a quick look at Iskall and Mumbo who both in a panic blurted out. “Check’s in the mail.”

Xisuma was skeptical of the statement but knew that if it wasn’t true before it would be soon enough. Not that he cared about the diamonds he more cared about when others fail to fulfill their sides of deals.

“Then why are we all here?”

Xisuma started, “Ever since the whole fiasco with Braid and Crown. Myself and others,” motioning towards Tango and TFC, “Have been noticing various things.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” TFC continued, “From my vault, I’ve been seeing strange energy surges.”

“And some of my farms have been getting some pretty odd drops,” Tango added.

“And I,” Xisuma picked up, “have been correlating all the weirdness from what it is and where and how often and well you hopefully will know what to make of it.” X finished handed a book over towards Grian.

Grian started to thumb through the book and took in the dates and what happened. He felt his brow arch in Sherlockian fashion as he took in the data. His mind beginning to race at all the facts and figures.

“Fear not gentlemen. I’ll take the case. ” Grian boldly proclaimed making his way into the Sahara warehouse. “Come along now Mumson and Watskall. We’ve experiments to run.”

Mumbo and Iskall gave shrugs in answer to the confused looks of the others and quickly caught up with Grian. Who was now in the conference room looking through the book and making notes in a book of his own.

“Um Grian,” Mumbo asked, “What are you doing?”

“Testing theories.” He answered matter of factly. “Iskall you have a hostile mob farm, yes?”

“Um yes on my island of doom.”

“Good I need you to check it’s drops as soon as you can and report back anything strange even if it’s the most minuscule difference than normal,” Grian whose face was lit with manic energy. He then turned to face Mumbo, “I need you to check your farms as well and do the same.”

“Grian what is going on?” Iskall asked worry creeping into his words.

Grian looked at his friends and fellow architects as he forced down his crazed energy. “I don’t know. I have theories but until I have more data they are just that theories and I need facts.” Grian finished as his nervous energy returned three-fold.

Mumbo went up to Grian and put his hand on Grian’s shoulder and looked his friend in the eye and asked. “What’s happening?”

Grian started to repeat his theory line but quickly fell silent as Mumbo’s gaze stopped him in his tracks. “I don’t know for sure which is why I need more info but during my time with Braid and Crown, I heard them talk about something called Carcosian World Decay. Where the world just starts unraveling and falling apart. It’s frankly terrifying which is why I need more information. So Mumbo, Iskall please do this in utmost haste. Data Data Data I can’t make bricks without clay.” Grian answered as his fellow architects left the conference room to follow through on their assignments.

Grian made his way to 221 G Baker street to gather some of his specialized equipment from his secret study and lab. As he went through and gathered it as well as remembering some of the mysteries he had yet to solve he also thought it would be wise to send a few messages to Joe and Cleo first to apologize for his extended absence as well as to ask for some of the books they had been working on. With that out of the way, he turned to leave 221 G and decided to move installing an exit to above sorting his storage system on his mental to-do list.

——————

Npc Grian couldn’t stop smiling if he tried and he had to laugh in retrospect that Doc called this work or a job even if it was on Area 77. Not only was he building rustic houses but he was teaching someone else to do so as well. Npc Grian turned to his pupil the security Chief Scar and could help but beam because well Scar had more experience in modern styles or futuristic and terraforming he was still a very competent builder and needed only a few bits of help or correction before he could be left to his own devices.

Npc Grian stood in the center of what would be an intersection and reconsulted the plans and the directions to ensure everything was being placed where it should. While he looked at double checked everything Scar came over, “Almost done with the frame for the diner. How goes the School?”

“The Schoolhouse is approximately 28.624545 % complete but I wanted to double-check the blueprints.” He answered and went to take measurements of the school foundation with his scanner. After Scanning the foundation and the neighboring zones along with the plans several times he sighed loudly and punched a pile of brick blocks turning several into dust.

Scar wasn’t the least bit scared of what he just saw happen to those bricks. He knew this because he kept repeating that fact to himself over and over again and his mental voice wasn’t frantic at all.

“Umm, What's the problem?” Scar asked not at worried.

“Scaling Error in the plans. Despite sharing space on many of the schematics. The school was created on a different scale than the rest of the town.” Npc Grian answered sounded annoyed at such an error.

“How bad a bungle we talkin?” 

“If we build the school to proper size it will take up the street in front of it and several homes as well.”

“Oof,” Scar blew out, “That bad.hunh”

“Yes and with the population figures, Doc has given me I don’t think the school could be any smaller.” Npc Grian said deflating as he leaned on a support beam suddenly feeling as if he hadn’t charged in weeks.

“What if we build it up? Ya know make it taller.”

“Maybe. But much care must be taken or else it will lose its charm and be like some towering conglomerate warm-colored shapes.”

“Sounds like Grian’s house after the build off.”

Npc Grian was going to ask Scar what he meant by that but was interrupted by the sounds of horns as well as someone screaming. The person screaming was coming in hot as the twang of bows and crossbows went off but they were able to stick the landing behind a nearby wall.

The person was wearing a blue shirt and headphones that wear now around his neck and was frantically trying to ready his sword as he blurted out, “Big things! Witches! Illusions! army coming!”

Scar was trying to parse out the sentence when Npc Grian happily exclaimed, “Taurtis!”

The exclamation brought Taurtis back to reality and truly see who he was talking to and he couldn’t help but say in similarly surprised glee, “Npc!”

Sadly the joyous reunion was cut short at the sounds of horns again this time much closer. Scar recognized that sound and yelled out “Pillager Raid. Get cover.”

Scar took an elevated position with his crossbow ready, Taurtis had an enchanted diamond sword and got out a shield and iron helmet while Npc just stood there but staring intently at where the sounds are coming from. Soon enough several of the raid beasts broke through the wall along with a hail of arrows. Taurtis held his sheild high blocking the deadly rain and Scar took shots from his cover at the oncoming horde.

Npc Grian was just annoyed not only did these people break the wall that Scar and Doc built but they were also trying to hurt his new friend Scar and his best friend Taurtis. All he wanted to do was talk to Taurtis and go back to building so thinking of the quickest way to that end he thought a show of strength to demoralize would be best. So he ran forward towards the group right towards one of the great horned beasts as it roared Npc grabbed one of its horns and proceeded to spin it around himself several times before letting go and seeing it soar off into the distance. He then turned to face one of these pillagers who was holding a banner and said, “Please leave the area. We are trying to build.”

The pillager with the banner was stunned for a moment before looking around at his group and with a laugh motioned for the attack to continue. Another storm of arrows were launched along with sounds of potions being tossed and strange chantings that ended with the conjurings of many small winged imp like beings and strange reflected versions of many of the raid.

Npc Grian saw the horde begin to descend on him and as they neared he heard Scar yell “Close your eyes!” and not a second later bright blazing flashes of light emitted from the sounds of impacts around him. He didn’t close his eyes and even tho the sensory overload was a minor inconvenience for him it seemed much more detrimental to his foes as it destroyed the illusions and the winged things. It also had the effect of rendering many of the foes dazed and confused and made disarming and taking care of them much easier. 

Npc Grian was in the thick of it with his fists backed up with ether concentrated fire or more of those strange light bursts from Scar’s crossbow at his vantage point with Taurtis holding the line to get to Scar. All in all things were going well and well this ate into the time table for building this project but he figured the actual danger was minimal until he heard a laugh along with the sounds of potion drinking amid the chaos of battle. 

He scanned the area to try and find the source only to be to late as he saw a witch and one of the pillagers who summoned those imps to appear from an expiring invisibility potion right behind Taurtis. He tried to shout a warning but it was too late. The witch hurled potions of slowness and poison at Taurtis as the other called more imps and strange fangs from the ground at him and it was too much. There was a puff of smoke and Taurtis was gone his belongings laying on the floor.

There was another one of those flashes of Scar’s and soon the killers were gone as well but that wasn’t enough for Npc Grian. His vision seemed to become tinted red and he stopped holding back. He didn’t care at the moment if he broke a tree, carved ditches in the dirt or shatter stone all he cared about was breaking these raiders any way he could.

Scar saw the moment this shift happened from his perch and saw that he wouldn’t really be needed as Npc Grian went to town and soon enough it was over with just the banner bearer being left trying to get away but tripping all over himself.

“Hello, I am Npc Grian.” He said slowly, “ You hurt my friends and set back the building of this rustic village of mine. Now what shall we do to prevent this from happening ever again?” Npc Grian slowly tapped his chin as he walked closer to the bearer before smiling a little too wide and continued, “I know! I want you to run. But not just run away oh no no no. I want you to run and tell all those like you that this will never happen again because despite what my anger tells me I will be generous to you and let you tell them what will happen if I see them around here ever again. Sound good?” He Finished crouching down to be at eye level with the piliger who was nodding its head vigorously and after Npc backed off a bit the bearer stood up and ran deep into the woods.

Npc Grian stood there and watched as the figure disappeared and felt empty. Any enjoyment he got from showing these barbarians what for was short-lived and now he didn’t really know what to do. Scar came to him after an unknown amount of time of contemplation on this.

“Well I got Taurtis’ stuff all boxed up,” He said while looking down at his communicator, “Looks like he last slept near Cleo’s Pirate city and he says he doesn’t have a fast way back. So wanna join me on delivering his stuff back? It might be a good way to show you what we’ve built so far.”

It seemed to take a minute before Scar’s words had meaning but once they did Npc Grian smiled and agreed. “Oh two more thing,” Scar said Digging through his pockets before presenting a small device to Npc Grian. “The first is your own brand new Cherry brand Communicator.” Npc took the small device and as he turned it on he felt a small almost tingle that reminded him of the feeling he would get just before an update but soon enough the tingle was gone but the device remained and he knew that he would always be able to get it when he needed.

“The second thing is well I know that technically this is your first day on the job here at Area 77 but after what just happened and seeing you not even be fazed by my special rockets. I have to ask. Would you like to be a member of H.I.B.?”


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Npc Grian was looking around trying to take in a thousand things at once. The various games at Hermit land seemed so inviting but he couldn’t not only was he being given a tour by Scar but he was also on his way to give Taurtis back his items. While Hermitland was an eclectic mishmash of fun and frivolity and mild death,Hermitville was more uniform in design with the exceptions of the homes on Sahara street and the castle across the way.

After Scar pointed out whose houses was who’s and gave some background to the build off. Npc stared at the towering rustic house that was Grian’s. He was silent as he looked it over. 

“What’s the hold-up?” Scar asked.

Npc Grian shook his head in slight disappointment. “The techniques are here and used well but really Grian? This is a Foster’s home for imaginary friends nightmare of a rustic house.”

Scar stopped at that comment and looked again at Grians home before laughing. “Man, I can’t believe I didn’t see that before.”

The two didn’t stay long as they entered the nether portal and taking the ice roads to the main hub. Npc Grian was confused at the idea of using a boat where water could not exist let alone on solid ice but after a bit of explanation from Scar he soon found himself speeding along the road and the feeling of such speed was exhilarating, to say the least.

When they finally made it to the end of the road Npc could feel his smile as he looked at it all. Such a short time he has been here and yet he was already seeing so many new things and experiencing them as well.

While Scar used his elytra to glide down, Npc used gravity and just before he hit he seemed to jump and stutter for a second before appearing just standing on the floor of the main hub.

“What in the world was that?” Scar asked dumbfounded at what he saw his traveling companion do.

“Short-range teleportation. Back when I was first built I had problems with keeping balance while walking so alternate form of travel was needed.” Npc than moved his neck and shoulders like he was having a muscle cramp or spasm and was trying to relieve it. “Seems many of my newer systems don’t like it.”

Scar nodded at that as they went through one of the shopping district portals and exited the Nether.

The pair found themselves in some big modern style building and Npc rolled his eyes at the design choice, Scar was more focused on the sight in front of him.

Scar saw a rather lively looking Cleo spinning some kind of staff around leading what appeared to be a small army of purple armor stands each carrying an arm full of books while Joe followed behind with his own small grouping of armor stands who seemed to focus on helping the other stands from falling over or getting in some kind of predicament.

“Come along Kids,” Cleo loudly proclaimed as she leads the precision, “No dilly-dallying. Up the bubble-vator then towards the meeting room.”

Cleo took a position near the up bubble-vator in Sahara and began rhythmically beating her staff on the side of the contraption. Soon the animated stands made their way up on the second landing followed by Cleo herself.

Scar stopped Joe before he made his way up the same bubble-vator.

“Joe?” Scar asked making Joe turn around. “What’s going on?”

Before Joe could answer lightning flashed followed by the boom of thunder and the start of heavy rain. “I’m not entirely sure myself but I know Grian wanted some of the books we had been translating unless you asking in reference to the animated stands well it seems like Cleo has magic, after all, more than likely from when she ripped that mask off me. Or if the question is in regards to Cleo’s more manic nature well since she is no longer mostly dead caffeine works even better for her and yet she still had her normal 7 cups of coffee.”

“Wait what? Books? Coffee?” Scar stuttered out as a crashing sound and Cleo’s almost crazed giggling cut him off.

“Sorry Scar but duty and friendship calls.” and with that Joe went up the column of bubbles leaving Scar and Npc more than a little bewildered.

Any respite from the strangeness was sadly not coming anytime soon as from out of the rain came a wet Mumbo and Iskall both clutching and shielding loose pages of notes upon seeing the duo they made their way towards Scar and Npc.

“Grian!” The two said in unison before stopping to organize the papers and catch their breath with Iskall regaining it first, “We did what you wanted and things are definitely strange.”

“Yeah”, Mumbo said, “My industrial district farms are getting all kind of strange glitches happening and…” Mumbo looked closely at the person he thought was Grian and noted that not only did they look confused and seemed off but he also took note at the lack of wings,”and Iskall and I are both Spoons because you’re not Grian are you?

Npc Grian shook his head, “No. I am Npc Grian I was made by Grian to aid him in various projects but my main passion is building rustic houses.”

“Yeah Sorry for any Confusion,” Scar added, “But I was giving Npc here a tour well making our way to Taurtis to give him back his stuff.”

As the two Architects took that in Iskall asked, “When did Grian have time to make you? Cause we’ve been real busy as of late even before this new Overseer watcher business.”

“Oh! I was made back on Evo.”

“Evo? How?” Iskall and Mumbo said in almost perfect unison before Npc could answer another animated stand holding something blue and red came running through and disappeared up the bubble-vator just seconds before those in the entrance of Sahara heard, “Come back here with my headphones you purple thief! If you break those I will turn you into a hoe!”

Seconds after hearing that loud proclamation the four saw a rather winded looking Taurtis running up towards the entrance. When he got near the other four hermits he leaned on the doorway to try and catch his breath.

“Man I can’t believe Grian was right about Elytra’s and their convenient flying.” He said between breaths. He turned to look at the others and asked, “You didn’t happen to see a small purple armorstand with my headphones run by did you?”

“Yes we did!,” Npc answered happily, “He want up that bubble column and my guess towards the meeting room.”

“Geez, man if only I had my elytra.”

“Funny you should mention that,” Scar responded as he started digging through his inventory before placing a shulker box down in front of Taurtis. “Npc and I were on our way to give you your stuff back.

Taurtis was shocked silent for a second as he opened up the shulker box and started getting his inventory in order and once his Elytra was reequipped he said his thanks than flew up to the second level of Sahara and towards the meeting room.

Iskall and Mumbo watched that series of events before getting their notes in order and gave their own parting massages before going where the others had gone.

Scar turned to Npc and asked, “Want to see what all the hubbub is about?”

“Yes, Since by my understanding farms really don’t glitch except maybe in regards to loot drop gathering or lighting.”

The Duo followed in the wake of Iskall and Mumbo and Npc liked the feeling of the bubbles as they lifted him up and while he still was displeased with the modern design he determined that he would have a long talk with Grian whence all is said and done. As the two neared the meeting room from even at distance they could see a frantic figure flying about.

“Space! I need more space!” They heard Grian say before witnessing a monster of a wooden chair being lifted and tossed out of the way to the sound of breaking glass and cracking wood.

At the sound, the two hurried along and passing the remains of great chair saw Grian still flying around the large meeting room and seemed to alternate between picking up one of the books that Joe and Cleo brought or writing/posting a note or checking in on some strange experiment being held in a bizarre amalgamation of brewing stands, blast furnaces, and observers. The whole while seeming to barely register that there are other people around him or that they looked worried.

Joe spoke up as calm and clear as he could over Grian’s frantic actions, “Grian my friend calm down and tell us what is happening cause if you can not see we are worried here and not just because we witnessed you lift and toss a chair larger than some houses. Let us help you. Please.”

Joe’s words seemed to not really calm Grian but make him less frantic and he did look at the faces of all who were there and saw the worry in their eyes. I want to. Believe me, I do, “ Grian answered leaning on the meeting room table but soon the lean began to slouch as he seemed to deflate in front of them, “But I don’t think there’s anything you can do. Hell, I can do. Where out of our league here Hermits.”

With that Grian seemed to shrink and deflate further in on himself as if saying the words aloud made him finally accept their truth. They were silent until the sounds of running and rockets going came nearer.

“Come back here!” Came a rather angry sounding Taurtis as the assembly witnessed him flying after the small armor stand still holding his headphones but now seemed to be under the effects of a swiftness potion. He dove for it but it ran into the meeting room slid under the table. “That’s it when I catch you. You are kindling! I will bake so much bread with you!”

Taurtis dove under the table himself but the small armor stand was quicker and soon took to hiding behind Cleo. As Taurtis got out from under the table and began to stalk towards it Cleo rapped her staff several times hard on the floor.

“You shall not pass.” She proudly proclaimed towards Taurtis and before he could say anything she then spun on her heel and another rap of her staff said, “And you will return his headphones. You’re already in for a talking too as it is. Do you want me to make it worse?”

The armor stand now looking like the kid with his hand stuck in a cookie jar slowly shook its head before holding up the head phones for Taurtis to grab which he did before making an  _ I’m Watching you _ gesture.

“Sorry about that,” Taurtis said resting his headphones around his neck, “What did I miss?”

Npc happily answered, “There is evidently a quite serious problem and it can not be fixed.”

Taurtis’ eyes went wide before turning to look at everyone for some explanation that the still deflated Grian answered. “The world seems to be unraveling like a bad shirt and I didn’t say it can’t be fixed only that we can’t fix it.”

Storm seemed to grow worse with lightning striking almost every minute somewhere nearby in the shopping district. Scar broke the silence, “Well the answer seems clear if we can’t fix it ourselves we need someone who can. And that’s a shortlist of folks who can do just that in fact if I’m not mistaken there is only one person who can.”

Grian looked up from he had sunk and said a word that tasted of bitter and burnt almonds, “Watchers”

“Spoon!” Mumbo proclaimed after hearing Grian’s response, “That’s right that overseer guy left that obelisk thing for us to call him!”

Iskall added on, “Yeah I mean if he really just wanted to help us and be nice than keeping the world from falling apart would be the right thing todo.”

Grian saw the look everyone now had one that was akin to a sailor seeing land during a terrible storm he thought. As nice as the gifts were he didn’t really want to accept them. The Watchers always seemed to be power-mad and sadistic torturers of innocent worlds and now out of the blue and said that was not the way things truly worked in the world of watchers, and that Braid and Crown and those like them are the exceptions, not the rule.

He wanted to tell them to forget calling the overseer since there has to be a way especially since a more cynical part of him wondered if this was not a long con to make the hermits more trustful and reliant on the Watchers but Sherlock Grian, Poultry Man and all the other personas he had crafted all came to the same conclusion. Grian stood up picked up some spare armor and quietly left the room. 

It didn’t take long for the others to notice and with the exception of Npc Grian the others followed suit. Cleo even opening up a couple of her display shulker boxes to quickly deck out her minions and to help fill any gaps the other hermits there might have in armor.

Grian didn’t ask them to follow him and would’ve asked them to not if he thought it would do anything but even though he was still scared for their safety and of all the hermits. He did enjoy the feeling of having well not an army but a strike force at his back. He grinned a bit remembering the charges and other actions of the civil war.

The Group made it to the statue of Hermity the storm now so bad that it was beginning to rain sideways. Grian just stared at the Overseer’s construction and felt his stomach flip than drop. Just as he felt like he was going to lose his nerve he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the face of one Mumbo Jumbo giving him a determined and reassuring smile. He also saw the looks of the other gathered hermits and saw similar looks on their faces as well with the exception of Npc Grian who looked more confused than anything.

With taking a steadying breath Grian called purple flame to his hand and touched the monument. The glyphs and sigils slowly sprang to life with a faint light. A small part of Grian wondered how long this was going to take but soon they began to glow brighter and spread faster Grian turned to see that both Joe and Cleo had called similar flames and were helping him light the obelisk. Soon it was shining with brilliant purple radiance and a beam like a beacon shot into the heavens from it.

They stood like that for quite a few moments and soon despite their continued use of magic the beam eventually did die down. They stood and looked around confused they didn’t have long to contemplate as the storm seemed to grow even worse and lightning began to strike near them and seemed to be getting closer. The Hermits ran a bit down the bridge and turned to see when purple lightning struck the obelisk and exploded in a shower of sparks.

As the storm still raged the gathered group saw the Overseer and another watcher but this other watcher seemed to be more carrying than holding the overseer up and even with the rain bloodstains and wounds were clearly visible on them.

They stood shocked for a moment before the watcher holding up the overseer said, “Sanctuary Please.” and with that, she too collapsed. The gathering quickly ran to them some to try and bandage wounds others to try and figure where to bring them and Npc offering to carry them. Grian looked at their wounds and the condition they came in and the female watcher’s words and knew that a tempest was at their door.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The apprentice started to come to and for a moment panic seized her until she looked at her surroundings and saw that she was not in place of watcher make. It was a room made of stone bricks and accented with purple carpets and wall hangings and she could feel a slight chill in the air. As she started to sit up she noticed that her wounds were cleaned and dressed and that she seemed to be wearing clean if slightly ill-fitting clothes.

Sitting up seemed to trigger some note blocks playing some sort of soothing melody from somewhere nearby. It only played a few times before someone entered the room. A woman wearing jean shorts and a light pink coat came in and if the chill bothered her she didn’t show it. This woman was also carrying a covered tray.

“I see you’re awake. How ya feeling?” the woman asked, setting the tray down on a nearby table.

The apprentice blinked a few times at the question before answering, “All things in consideration I suppose I’m fine but, Where am I?, Who are you? And-,” Terror seized her as her eyes went wide and she began to frantically look around, “Where’s the Overseer?”

The woman was soon by the apprentice trying to keep her calm and soon the panic attack was prevented. The woman answered, “You’re at my castle aways south of where you came in. My name is Stressmonster and The Overseer is alive but he seemed to take the most of whatever happened to you two and is still in treatment downstairs.”

The apprentice was silent for a time as she took everything in. Her mind raced at everything that has happened that she didn’t notice at first when food was offered. She looked down and saw it was a bowl of hot mushroom soup and a bit of bread.

“You should eat. Looks like you’ve been through hell, and after that, I have a few potions for you to drink to help patch you up.”

The apprentice was starving and the food was delicious and in between the spoonfuls of soup and bites of bread. She let Stress look at her bandages and check the wounds about halfway through the meal the apprentice noticed that something seemed off but yet she could not place her finger on it. But soon enough the small meal was done and was passed a pair of glowing bottles. She braced herself as she never was a fan of potions but downed them all the same.

She felt a strange warm and almost giddy feeling start to form in her stomach before spreading outwards and as it traveled she felt her aches lessen and some stiffness ease and just as quickly as it had started it faded and with it’s fading still left more than a few aches and pains behind.

“Man you watchers are something else. Two of the strongest healing and regen potions I’ve ever seen and you're still pretty banged up.”

“We have a naturally high resistance to things of non-watcher origin which affects both the bad and the good.”

“Grian told us that just before we stormed the other watcher’s castle. Still must be annoying sometimes”

“Only when we are guests in other realms.” She answered with a bit of a chuckle as her mind drifted over memories of days past. The memories were bittersweet and she could see the world was starting to get blurry so she went to lift up her mask to wipe at her eyes only to find that she was not wearing it. After feeling it wasn’t there she began to look around trying to find it before she could get herself worked up. Stress was quickly by her side, calming her down.

“Mask! Where is my Mask?”

Stress didn’t say anything but she did reach into the side table she set the tray on and pulled out the pieces and shards of a broken silver mask.

“It didn’t make it. Sad to say but I do think your eyes are quite pretty. Don’t see many sapphire eyes.”

The apprentice blushed at the compliment.

“Um…. Thank you” She stammered out.

She sat in silence as Stress checked on a few other things and as she was getting ready to leave, Stress turned and asked, “You feel like you can walk?”

The apprentice nodded.

“Good then get up ya lazy bones and I’ll give ya the grand tour of my digs!” Stress said practically beaming with an energy that soon made the watcher start smiling as well.

As the pair began to leave the room and the apprentice felt even more of a chill in the air. Stress asked her, “So what’s your name?

“I’m the Overseer’s Apprentice.”

“Not your title. Your name's like mine’s Stressmonster and Grian’s is well Grian.”

“We watchers really don’t have names as you players know them because we don’t need them.”

“Well I can’t really just keep calling you apprentice, can I?” Stress asked.

The apprentice only shook her head laughing lightly at Stress’ befuddlement at such a minor difference and inconvenience but she did have another name given to her long ago by someone she cares for greatly. “You can call me Melody.”

  
  


////////////////////////

  
  


It was Joe’s turn as he sat near the bed for the overseer in Stress’s lab. His hands’ thrum with the purple energy of magic as he melds it with the power coming off a hastily repurposed beacon to try and help the man laying on the bed. He looked at the overseer and couldn’t help but cringe at the signs of trauma. 

Truly he must have gone through hell since even with the regenerative powers of the beacon and many donated potions his color was still only a few shades better than ash grey and the way one of his arms and legs rest still speaks of broken bones along with the unsettling bulges in his chest where several ribs must have broken. But despite all that he was still breathing. Sure they were shallow and ragged breaths but they were breaths all the same and while one eye was swollen shut Joe could see movements under the lid of the other which must mean he’s dreaming right? So if he’s breathing and dreaming that must mean he’ll be alright in the long run so now just need to make sure he can walk that path but till then just got to sit by the bed and mix beacon glows with magic glows.

Joe looked about the lab taking stock of who’s there and what they appear to be doing. Grians double in blue that he briefly met at Sahara was standing up slightly slouched over next to some contraption Doc brought from somewhere and was apparently some kind of charger since Grians double was a robot and needed to charge after some battle earlier in the day along with helping to move the watchers and setting up some kind of containment barrier around the statue of Hermity with Scar.

Next, his eyes rested on Mumbo whose suit jacket was hung up on the corner of a chair near him and a stack of books he had been reading, while he slept standing up. How and why Mumbo developed this skill was a mystery but what wasn’t was the number of times that this habit of his made him the target of a prank.

Sitting in the chair the suit jacket was resting in was Grian. The luggage he was carrying under his eyes quite evident but still, he sat there furiously writing in a book as X, Iskall, Doc and others were telling him. Joe had rarely seen the normally jovial and mischievous Grian so serious but he remembered what had happened last time Grian was this way and Joe had made a deal with himself that even though he may be better at striking with words then blades or arrows but if it came to it he was gonna stand there and hold the line for his friends and that was a Joe Hills Guarantee.

Joe’s Silent and serious reflections were interrupted by the upbeat sound of this laboratory’s owner.

“So, yeah still don’t know where all those Mooiuliums are coming from but kinda glad the door got left open. It would've been so much more of a pain to try and get em out with everything else going on.”

“Mooiuliums, If I hadn’t seen it for myself I think I wouldn’t have believed you.”

Stress entered the lab followed by the watcher. All eyes fell unto the watcher for a second causing all work and sound to stop.

“Well Go on, Don’t be a baby” Stress said, elbowing the watcher.

“Gree-... “She began then stopped her body shaking a bit before starting again, “Thank you all for saving me and the Overseer. At Ms. Stress’s insistence, you can call me Melody and truly thank you. From the bottom of my heart thank you. I have no doubt we would be dead without your aid. I don’t know how your kindness could ever be repaid.”

Grian was the first to speak and while in the recent past he had been terse and cold where the watchers were concerned his tone this time was instead tired and full of an equal mix of sadness and relief. “Don’t go thanking us yet. We’re still pretty deep in the woods at least the overseer is.” He finished and gestured and the form on the bed near Joe.

Melody ran over to the form with tears already beginning to form as she nealed near him. She grasped the hand of his good arm and held it but if he noticed he didn’t stir. His eyes still shut and his color still ashen. She sat like this for several long breaths before composing herself and from where she sat was clearly heard, “I suppose you have questions?”   
  
The gathered hermits nodded or else made affirmative sounds. “Then ask them.” She said, still trying to keep her voice calm.

“What happened to you?” Grian asked, moving to put a hand on her shoulder. She had expected to form the reports more fire or venom from the player turned watcher and while the compassion was startling she was very appreciative of it.

“We were attacked. By Watchers led by a former apprentice of Crown and Braid who want to make an example of us and you.”

“But your Laws” Joe was quick to add.

“Mean nothing when there are those who think themselves above them and this was no random attack either. They waited till several other worlds who would have greatly difficult updates require a large number of watchers hundred or more to be stationed and standing by for each world. We,” She began to continue before a sob stopped her and she had to calm herself. “We were the last ones out. Just make sure everything was in order and hit the lights on the way out till the many messes were sorted. The cowards hit us as his back was turned to lock the door while I was busy adjusting several books I was carrying. I wish I could tell more about what happened but It all went so fast Amos was stuck and fell but then he was standing again with his mask in shards and and and…” 

She had to stop as her breathing became hard to control with the torrent of emotions she was feeling as the battle once more played out before her and like before she could do nothing. She didn’t notice as some other hermits got closer to join Grian with a comforting gesture. When the tears were dryer and sniffling had ceased. Stress asked,” Amos?”

Melody didn’t fully register the name as a question at first till she realized what she let slip. “Yes, Amos. That was the Overseer’s name or part of it when he was a player.

All was silent again before a flash like lightning happened but instead of brilliant white, it was purple. Everyone was still as another flash happened but by the third and fourth Melody and others were looking out into the sky to see the normal blue skies replaced with purple. And where they stood they could see that just before every flash they saw what almost looked like a black star fall to strike.   
  
As the black stars still struck the sky with every impact, another thing was soon noticed with every impact on the overseer. Amos would shudder, cough or a small wound would open; it didn’t take long for Melody to know what he had done.

“Amos! Drop the connection you’ll kill your self!”

All the hermits were confused, all except for Grian whose eyes widened. “What! Did he?”

Melody was now trying to wake the comatose Amos much to Joe’s own panic but when the actions did nothing to stir him she slumped over him and wept, not even trying to control it.

Grian moved next to her even as Amos' body convulsed a few more times but the flashs weren't coming as fast or as bright.

“Melody did he?”   
  
“He must have.”

“Must have what?” Joe and others asked.

“Linked some sort of mega spell with his own life force.” Said one Mumbo Jumbo as he cracked various joints and put his suit jacket back on.

Grian, Melody and the others kinda just stared at Mumbo. “What? I’m not always a spoon and do some of me best thinking after a standing power nap.”

“Yes, Mr. Mumbo he has linked his life to the shield currently protecting your world and that’s the problem. Our enemies are still trying to get in and the shield will keep drawing on him until there is no more energy to draw on.”

“Can’t we just cut the connection? Boom problem solved!” X asked.

“No they can’t. Powering a spell with your life is a risky trick, great boons but at great risk any severing without the caster willing it cut results in death.” Mumbo answered for Melody as he pulled out one of the books on magic he had been reading before his nap and passed it to Xisuma. “And with Overse- Amos in a coma. He can’t cut the connection. It keeps drawing on him without giving him the strength to even know what’s happening. I atleast hope whatever he’s dreaming about is nice for when he goes.”

At his friend's Melancholy words Grian had a sudden thought then realization and quickly plucked the book from X’s grasp to confirm his suspicion. “Oh Yes STONKS time!”

Before anyone could truly grasp what happened Grian turned back towards Melody. “Back before the showdown Braid and Crown liked to pop up in my dreams and mess with me. But can you send someone else into a dream?”

“What? Why?”

“Because Amos there is dreaming more than likely, “ Grian answered pointing at a passage in the book about the magic connection.

“And while watchers can’t enter another watchers dreams. Nothing in the laws about a player.”

Melody’s jaw hung open and the realization. Could she do this? And well this does not break the laws, it definitely bends them but the prospect of not only facing her assailants but to face them without Amos.

“I'll Do it.”


End file.
